“The Terminal” (DreamWorks)
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks team up again for the new romantic comedy “The Terminal.” The magic that struck in “Saving Private Ryan” strikes again, as they create a warm and wonderfully enjoyable film. Tom Hanks is at the top of his form once more, and another Oscar nomination could be in his future.
Hanks plays Viktor Navorski, a citizen of Krakozhia, a fictional Eastern European country. Just as he arrives at the airport terminal in New York his country suffers a military coup. There is no legitimate recognized government so Viktor becomes a man without a country who is forced to live at the airport until all details of his “passport” can be resolved.
Frank Dixon (Stanley Tucci) is in charge of airport security and he becomes Viktor’s main nemesis. He actually wants Viktor to try to go out the doors to America so he can be arrested and become someone else’s problem. But Viktor stays put for months. While in the airport he has a series of adventures and makes friends among the workers. He even falls in love with a beautiful stewardess named Amelia (Catherine Zeta-Jones).
The film starts slowly with all of the pieces of the puzzle having to be laid out. Soon however Hanks begins to work his charm and Spielberg tosses out some magic from behind the camera. The audience gets totally absorbed by Viktor’s plight and wrapped up in his hopes and dreams.
This is Hanks’ best role in ages. Forget “The Road To Perdition” and “Ladykillers,” they were missteps in a brilliant career. This is vintage Hanks as he plays the bumbling, language challenged immigrant. He is always in the moment and you can see the intelligence beneath his humble exterior.
Zeta-Jones is appealing as the damaged Amelia. This is a woman who has loved many men, none of them suitable. She sees Viktor as a chance for real happiness, and perhaps a new start.
Every movie has to have a villain and Tucci fits the bill in this one. He is a small-minded weasel who gains our wrath with his mistreatment of Viktor. It is to Tucci’s credit that he makes us dislike Frank Dixon so much.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity.
“The Terminal” is a fairy tale of sorts. You can’t take it too seriously or expect everything to make a lot of sense. You just have to accept it as is, and that is the way to enjoy it. If you surrender to its charm you will have a wonderful time and regret when it ends.
I scored “The Terminal” an arriving 8 out of 10.
